Spinich Artichoke Dip part 2!

If you read my earlier post- Spinich Artichoke dip part 1 you saw that I love applebees spinich dip and that I had tried the earlier recipe and had moderate love towards it. Well I googled applebees spinich dip and came across this new recipe! I tried it and I actually liked it a little better PLUS it's a bit cheaper to make, which is awesome!! I think I'm going to have to have a side by side taste test someday but I really did like this new recipe. The only downfall I thought it had was that it calls for jarred alfredo sauce. (yuck!) I was worried, but in the end it turned out pretty good! I couldn't taste the yicky sauce. Now of course you can buy nice sauce or even make your own (which I will try someday) but for this test purpose I went with the bertolli alfredo sauce.

Almost Applebees Spinich Artichoke Dip

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

1 10 oz box frozen chopped spinich, thawed and drained

10 oz prepared alfredo sauce

1 cup shredded parmesan-romano cheese blend

1 cup shredded motzarella cheese

4 oz (1/2 pkg) cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. minced garlic

Combine all ingredients except 1/2 cup motzarella cheese in a bowl. Mix them until well blended. spread into baking dish and sprinkle with remaining motzarella cheese and place in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

I put my artichoke hearts in a food processer to make it really small because I usually eat around the big chunks at applebees, but that made it a bit thicker. If you want it more soupy, I wouldn't do that. I really liked it though and replaced it as my go to spinich dip recipe :) I really hope that you try it and let me know what you think!!!!

spinich artichoke dip take 1

while I have found my perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, I am still on the lookout for the perfect spinich artichoke dip recipe. If anyone out there in blog world has it, please share it with me. I am looking for one that is just like the dip you can get at applebees. If they can make it then gosh darnit so can I.

This was the dip we tried for new years eve. It was REALLY good, but a little too chunky for my taste. I like a more smooth, cheesy version (like applebees) It makes enough for a crowd. Greg, my grandpa and my 3 kids and I ate it all gone. I served it with a sliced french baguette and tortilla chips. Here is the recipe, courtesy of allrecipes.com

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a blender or food processor, place artichoke hearts, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese and garlic . Pulse until chopped, but not ground. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together spinach, heavy cream, sour cream and mozzarella cheese. Stir in artichoke mixture. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

NOW, walmart does not sell romano cheese so I used asiago. It tasted really good in my opinion. I also added more cream to attempt to make it thinner. I also sprinkled more motzerella and parmesan on the top and turned the broiler on hi for the last 5 min to get a nice top. I also read on the recipe reviews that people added cream cheese. I think if I ever make this again, I'll only use half the spinich. It was a good dip and I don't really think you can mess it up!!

Crock Pot Cheese Dip

Here is a cheese dip recipe just in time for New Years and/or the Superbowl! It's pretty tasty and very easy!!

You Will Need:
1 lb processed american cheese (velveeta) cubed
8 oz cream cheese
1 medium onion, diced (i mince it or grate it. don't like big chunks)
1 can tomatos with green chilies
1 4 oz can diced green chilies (optional)
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low until cheese is melted. Serve with Tortilla chips

Enjoy!